1. Filed of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a pillow, and more particularly to a custom, therapeutic pillow, designed to be placed under the head and neck of a patient lying in a supine or side-supported position.
2. Background Art
Because approximately one-third of all human existence is spent in a supine position, innovators in posture or cervical pillows have long continued to develop new designs of this type of pillow. Such a pillow supports the head and spine, and in particular, the neck vertebrae in the most normal, comfortable and unstressed position, thereby aiding in relieving stress in the cervical or neck portion of the upper spine, and for promoting proper posture.
Prior art in the area of such pillows have used a combination of firm and soft portions of a pillow in varied arrangements, but which have either resulted in a flattening of the spinal column, or in exaggerating the curvature thereof. Furthermore, such prior art efforts do not provide the variety of therapeutic uses of the pillow custom for each individual person.
A therapeutic pillow was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,564 having a base topped by three additional cushions. The component parts have varying firmnesses. The pillow disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,564 is not a custom pillow in that the pillow is not fit to a patient based on measured data from that patient.
There is, therefore, a need for a therapeutic pillow, custom made for each individual, that provides the least stress on the body for relaxing, therapeutic rest.